Turret Opera
The Turret Opera is a piece of music featured at the end of Portal 2, where numerous Aperture Science Sentry Turrets sing the song "Cara Mia Addio," an Italian aria. "Cara Mia Addio" is an Italian aria, but it is not accompanied by official lyrics. Fans of Portal 2 with an understanding of Italian have both transcribed them in their original tongue and translated them into English. The song was composed by Valve composer Mike Morasky, but the librettist is unknown.[http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2011/04/29/faqs-about-the-portal-2-song/|FAQs About the Portal 2 Song] on jonathancoulton.com Ellen McLain is the vocalist for the song,Mike Morasky Interview on Podcast 17 as she also voiced GLaDOS and the turrets. In an interview, McLain claimed that she "made up the words out of her bad Italian ... on the spot". GLaDOS responds to r/gaming's questions! on Reddit Overview The chorus can be seen/heard after Chell awakens in GLaDOS' main control room and is subsequently expelled from the facility via an elevator. The game then cuts to a cinematic ending where Chell first encounters a group of four sentry turrets who, after aiming their lasers at Chell, begin to beep and whir to the tune of the chorus. After seeing these turrets, the elevator continues its upward path and eventually ends up in a large amphitheater-like room full of turrets. The vocal part is sung by a larger turret in the center, who is highlighted by a spotlight. The thicker size of the apparent turret could be a play on the American stereotype that Grand Opera sopranos are typically overweight and related colloquialism that "it ain't over 'til the fat lady sings." The official Portal 2 guide gives further credence to such conjecture, as it refers to the "fat" turret as the "Soprano Turret.".Portal 2: The Official Guide Also of note is an enormous, crowned, animal king sentry turret in what seems to be jaguar-print camouflage, which can be seen in the back of the amphitheater during the scene. It emits the deeper bass tones of the opera. Lyrics The lyrics were partially improvised. "The composer, Mike Morasky was the driving force behind the Turret Opera. He wrote all the music. He requested that I use my legit voice (operatic sound) on some of the takes. He chose the takes to use. He asked me to make up some words. So I did so in my bad Italian." Italian :Cara bella, cara mia bella! :Mia bambina, oh ciel (Chell)! :Ch'ella stima!The Spanish phrase "Que lástima" ("What a shame/pity" or, alternatively "lastima" (without accent) due to the emphasis "That it/she/he hurts") sounds similar and is widely misreported on the Internet as the actual lyrics, but in Italian it actually means that she respects. :Ch'ella stima! :O cara mia, addio! :La mia bambina cara... :perché non passi lontana? :'Si lontana da Scienza!As Italian is a Latin-based language, 'Scienza' also means 'knowledge'. This could be a possible reference to how Chell is stepping into the unknown world beyond the boundaries of Aperture. :Cara, cara mia bambina... :Ah, mia bella! :Ah, mia cara! :Ah, mia cara! :Ah, mia bambina! :Oh cara, cara mia... English :Beautiful dear, my darling beauty! :My child, oh heavens (Chell)!Note that "ciel" ("sky" or "heaven" in lyrical Italian) is a pun on Chell's name, as it sounds roughly the same. :How I adore you!Original Italian Meaning is, "That she respects!" ("she" referring to GLaDOS) But was changed to "How I adore you!" so it makes more sense in english. :How I adore you! :Oh my dear, farewell! :My dear child... :Why don't you walk far away? :So far away from Science! :My dear, dear baby... :Ah, my beloved! :Ah, my dear! :Ah, my dear! :Ah, my dear! :Ah, my little girl! :Oh dear, my dear... Notable opera members The Prima Donna Turret The Soprano Turret is also known as the "Opera Turret" by fans and "Turret Wife" in the game files and song title by it. It is first seen in the beginning of chapter 6, but not in full form; several are blown to pieces and can be found on fire. It can then be found in Test Chamber 11, going up in a lift right before Chell enters her own lift. It is next seen in Test Chamber 16, where the Turret Quartet plays the song "Turret Wife Serenade," as titled by volume 1 of the ''Portal 2'' soundtrack. She is last seen in the Single Player campaign Turret Opera. She is also witnessed in the ending credits of the Cooperative Campaign. The Turret Quartet In the first test where Turrets can be destroyed with Thermal Discouragement Beams (Test Chamber 16 {Use console command changelevel sp_a2_laser_vs_turret to get there quicker}), there is a Turret behind a metal grating. If this Turret is destroyed, the grating will come off, and one can then enter the vent and discover four singing Turrets below, each in a separate compartment and with the Soprano Turret, idle, opposite them. The vent also features scribblings done by Doug Rattmann. The Quartet is seen again during the song at the very end of the game, which they open at the first elevator stop, before being picked up by the Turret group in the amphitheater. The Animal King The Animal King turret appears at the back of the Turret Opera's primary room, serving as the source of bass tones. Other Opera Members Besides obviously the immeasurable numbers of Sentry Turrets, you can spot the two varieties of Defective Turrets (sideways and Plateless) also singing on the way up in the elevator to the main opera. Also, a lone Frankenturret is creeping along in the back of the orchestra. One with an astute eye can even spot the Bird in its nest. Trivia *The "animal king" turret seen in the background is first mentioned in one of the Aperture Science demonstrational videos seen during the elevator rides in Chapter 1: The Courtesy Call. *Earlier in the game, there is an easter egg where four sentry turrets can be seen playing the Turret Wife Serenade. The "fat" turret ("Turret Wife") is also present in a crate across from them, but does not sing. *In Test Chamber 07, where the Preservation of Mass achievement is earned, the song or something similar can be heard in the background ("Love as a Construct"). It hums as an accompaniment to the tune played by the Companion Cube. ** Similarly, the song 'space phase' has part of an 8-bit version of the song in the background. ** The song can also be heard in the background of the music that emanates from Hard Light bridges, "Hard Sunshine". *After GLaDOS retrieves Chell from space, the melody of the opera can faintly be heard as Chell passes out. *Ellen McLain, the voice of GlaDOS and the turrets, voiced every turret individually. The recording sessions directly followed McLain's recording of "Want you Gone". After recording many layers of the Opera (Do do, Va va va, etc.), Mike Morasky asked McLain to make up some lyrics, which she did so in her bad Italian she learned in High School. McLain was told that the Opera would serve as the goodbye to Chell and the player. References External links * * * *Correct lyrics by an Italian professional translator *Sheet music Category:Portal 2 Category:Aperture Science Sentry Turrets Category:Songs